MLB

The 2013 offseason has been a particularly active one. The New York Yankees let Robinson Cano walk and instead inked Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. And on the trade front, Doug Fister and Dexter Fowler were surprisingly dealt to the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, respectively.

While there haven’t been many trades this offseason that involved high-profile prospects, teams have been quietly filling holes on their respective 25- and 40-man rosters with under-the-radar deals for displaced prospects.

Many of baseball’s top prospects are playing in the Australian, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Venezuelan winter leagues this offseason as they look to get a head start on the 2014 season and improve their chances of cracking an Opening Day roster. 

The New York Yankees bolstered their lineup in a big way this offseason by signing top-tier free agents Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann. As for the pitching aspect of the equation—well, the organization still has work to do if it plans on contending next year. 

The New York Mets haven't made many splashes this offseason. Right now, the team is constantly trying to shop either Ike Davis or Lucas Duda. But there is growing talk that second baseman Daniel Murphy could also be traded soon, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

Matt Garza is a lucky guy.

He's a big league pitcher who's made millions to this point in his life and career, but because of a little quirk in a relatively new Major League Baseball rule, Garza may be in the best position of all the remaining big-name free agents.

The New York Yankees need to fill a Robinson Cano-sized hole in their lineup, but the club is far from the only team that has lost a big-name MLB free agent this offseason.

In determining just how detrimental the departure of a given free agent will be, there's far more than on-field production to consider. There are plenty of players who provide value that transcends any statistical breakdown. Tim Hudson is widely renowned for his work on the mound, but he's equally, if not more respected, for his intangibles off it.

For Cubs fans, the last few years have been rough. Well, let's be honest, the past century has been pretty tough for the Cubby faithful. 2013 was another season that saw the team lose more than 90 games, but hope is on the horizon. 

The 2013 San Francisco Giants consisted of essentially the same team that won the World Series in 2012. They had the same pitching rotation and starting lineup (sans Melky Cabrera).

Yet, the 2013 Giants proved they were an entirely different team from that of 2012, despite having largely the same players. They won 76 games, finishing 21st in runs scored and 22nd in ERA. So why, a year removed from 94 wins and a World Series title, did the Giants finish third in the NL West? What made the difference? 

Hey, just because it's the holiday season doesn't mean we should ignore the fantasy baseball season.

While Robinson Cano's massive 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners a couple weeks ago was the last major trade or signing, there have been loads of mini-moves in the past several days.